---
id: lifecycle
title: Lifecycle
sidebar_label: Lifecycle
---

import useBaseUrl from '@docusaurus/useBaseUrl'

<div class="image-container">
  <img width="283" src={useBaseUrl("img/example.png")} />
</div>

## The `isActive` prop

The Camera's [`isActive`](/docs/api/interfaces/CameraProps#isactive) property can be used to _pause_ the session (`isActive={false}`) while still keeping the session "warm". This is more desirable than completely unmounting the camera, since _resuming_ the session (`isActive={true}`) will be **much faster** than re-mounting the camera view.

For example, you want to **pause the camera** when the user **navigates to another page** or **minimizes the app** since otherwise the camera continues to run in the background without the user seeing it, causing **significant battery drain**. Also, on iOS a green dot indicates the user that the camera is still active, possibly causing the user to raise privacy concerns. (See ["About the orange and green indicators in your iPhone status bar"](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211876))

For example, you might want to pause the Camera when the user minimizes the app ([`useAppState()`](https://github.com/react-native-community/hooks?tab=readme-ov-file#useappstate)) or navigates to a new screen ([`useIsFocused()`](https://reactnavigation.org/docs/use-is-focused/)):

```tsx
function App() {
  const isFocused = useIsFocused()
  const appState = useAppState()
  const isActive = isFocused && appState === "active"

  return <Camera {...props} isActive={isActive} />
}
```

## Interruptions

VisionCamera gracefully handles Camera interruptions such as incoming calls, phone overheating, a different app opening the Camera, etc., and will automatically resume the Camera once it becomes available again.

<br />

#### 🚀 Next section: [Camera Formats](formats)
